Blossom of the Roses
by luckylili
Summary: Set in the 1900's, the story of how two friends are seperated in the strict world of China. Will the roses blossom before it is too late?
1. Farewell my Friend

_Authors Note: In case you don't know, this story is set in 1908 when in China, only one child was allowed, if more than one child was conceived they would be sold for slavery._

_Sakura is six years old and Syaoran is eight._

It was a cold, dark night.

Sakura hugged her servant (Syaoran) tightly as she knew she would never see him again.

Why or where he was going she did not know.

Her only friendship was fading away.

She sat on the porch steps to her mansion, with Syaoran waiting for the horse and cart to appear and drive him away, oh how she had feared for this day to come.

Syaoran was taken as a servant when he was four and Sakura was two, now four years later he was leaving.

He must have packed his picture.

He can't survive without the picture of his mother! She wailed in her head.

Sakura wept as her father led Syaoran to the cart.

Her emerald eyes filled with tears as she could bear it no longer.

She watched Syaoran being dragged into the cart. His nose pressed against the window, in a bid to make her laugh. Sakura smiled weakly as she saw him mouth something she could not read.

She saw his deep, chocolate eyes redden as he turned back round.

The cart began to drive away, Sakura just sat watching as she pictured her father's face, and glad to see the 'dirty servant' leave.

The cart drew further and further away and the sound of the horse's hooves got quieter.

Sakura ran inside, she couldn't see her only friend being driven away.

She ran upstairs and threw herself onto her queen sized bed.

She sobbed and sobbed until the silken pillows were sodden.

Her pearl coloured room was her only escape.

To her, life wasn't fair and nobody wanted her to be happy.

She was only six but she had been through one tragedy after another, her only happiness was short-lived.

Half an hour later, Sakura sat up. She wiped her streaming eyes. She felt nobody cared for her anymore, not even her father. He had heard her sobbing, why had he not come up to comfort her?

The only comfort she had ever got in her life was from her mother and from Syaoran.

It was too painful to even think of his name. He was never coming back.

Sakura fiddled with her golden locket that hung loosely on her pretty neck.

It was a hollow gold, in the shape of a small heart. It had belonged to her mother, before she had passed away.

Sakura's mother had died when she was five. Sakura opened the locket to see a small photograph of her mother on the inside.

There she was, in a meadow.

A bright yellow hat complete with a honeydew gown, clinging neatly to her beautiful figure.

This photograph had obviously been taken professionally, it was colour after all.

Sakura's heart bled inside. Her mother looked so happy. Why did she have to die?

She prayed every night for her mother and how she wished for her to come back.

Sakura's heart began to bleed once more as she realised the black dress she had on was the one she wore to her mother's funeral.

Once again the only person to comfort her was Syaoran.

He was no longer there.

She was alone now,

Alone in the big wide world.

She knew another servant would be coming on Thursday.

She would never be the same as Syaoran.


	2. Time to Kill

_Twelve years later._

_It is 1920 and Sakura is 17 years old._

_Her father is extremely over protective and her only friend is Tomoyo, her current servant._

_Tomoyo has been her servant for almost twelve years now._

Sakura and Tomoyo sat on Sakura's pearl bed.

They were chatting, about their lives, the usual.

It was 6.00am.

Sakura had to get up bright and early for her tutor.

She was home tutored, Monday till Saturday for seven hours.

Her father had never allowed Sakura to go to public school; there would be boys and rudeness. Besides, according to her father, Sakura didn't need friends. She would grow up into a proper woman and marry a rich man, have children, do all the cooking and cleaning and become a proper housewife, like all good first class women.

Today was a Monday.

Sakura had always hated Mondays, it was always the beginning of yet another long week, they were not half as bad as Thursdays though.

Tomoyo always had her day off on a Thursday so Sakura was left alone, trapped in her own boredom.

Sakura never really had a proper conversation with her father.

Not that she could remember.

Unless you count "Sit up straight Sakura" or

"Pass the salt".

Sakura got into her under garments as Tomoyo tied up her corset.

Sakura flinched at every pull. She was sure she could hear her bones cracking underneath.

Next was her petticoat, layer by layer.

Although it was a high quality lace, it still itched like hell.

After that, came the hooped hem, which was what Sakura liked to think, the most horrid part of the outfit.

How could she be expected to sit down with her ankles past her chair when there was a huge hoop underneath her?

Going to the lavatory with that hoop was even worse.

And finally, came the actual dress.

Sakura picked her crimson ball gown.

It was stunning and Sakura looked beautiful.

It suited her figure and skin tone perfectly and it made her ebony hair gleam.

She smiled when she saw her reflection.

Tomoyo brushed Sakura's hair gently, not that it really need a brush and then she smiled to see that Sakura was admiring her reflection.

Tomoyo put the brush down on the dresser, wiped her hands on her pinafore and left the room.

Sakura's smile dropped as her friend left the room.

Time for another boring day, full of subjects.

Sakura didn't see why she needed to learn.

She didn't exactly need a job.

She was filthy rich.

She already knew how to do all the housewife chores like cook and clean, etc. So what was the point?

She was just grateful that, although it was boring it did kill time.

Time was her worst punishment.

Everything she had to do involved time.

Tomoyo always moaned she never had enough time.

Sakura sighed. She always had too much time.

She longed to go to public school, where she could have some fun, but it was no use.

Her father would never budge.

Sakura hated to admit it but deep down she was a tad bit jealous of Tomoyo.

She was so free.

Well, according to Sakura.

She never had too much time on her hands and she was never expected to act like an upper class lady.

She could do what she wanted and Sakura envied that.

Tomoyo did not have money but the largest sum of money could not make Sakura happy.

Sakura had all the money she could wish for, but all she could buy were material things.

She wished she could buy friends.

Sakura sighed at herself, always so negative.

Then off she went, down the stairs, on her time consuming journey of being home tutored.


	3. Salmon Pâté

Another whole, long week went by.

It was a Saturday evening.

Tomoyo was cooking a large dinner as Sakura sat around, doing nothing.

She sat on the velvet couch, puzzled.

It was 7.00pm; her father was usually back at six at the very latest.

She sat there worried.

What if he had been in some kind of accident?

She sat there and waited.

She got up several times to check the clock in the dining room.

Minutes went by.

Long, unbearable minutes.

Half an hour later Tomoyo called from the Kitchen.

"Sakura!" Dinner is ready; eat it now before its cold.

Your father is normally back by now.

He will have to eat his dinner whilst it's cold. I have no time, what with all the cleaning to do…SAKURA?"

"Tomoyo!" I'm coming!"

Sakura had an idea.

If her father was out, then he would not catch her helping Tomoyo with the chores.

A certain way to kill time and it would be a lot less boring.

She knew how to cook and clean, she had learnt it from being tutored, however her father had never actually test her skills, as Tomoyo was always on hand.

Sakura entered the Kitchen.

The floor certainly needs a good sweep and the cabinets could do with a nice dust.

The surfaces should be scrubbed down and the table set.

She thought.

She stared at the dinner Tomoyo had specially prepared.

A lovely stew, with new potatoes and mint sauce, it looked ravishing.

The sweet smell of the lamb caressed Sakura's nostrils and she sighed, as she often did, that one of these meals will go to waste.

"Tomoyo!"

Sakura called.

"I have a feeling my father is not going to get back until late.

He does not eat his meals cold and all you ever eat is that ghastly porridge, so please eat his meal.

We can eat together, I will not tell him, neither will you.

After that, go and have a nice bath, wash your hair and have an early night.

Do not worry about your chores, as I would really love to do them.

My father never lets me work you see, I'm starting to feel useless, like a waste of space, when there I see my best friend slaving around without any help.

So please do not question me. I would really love for you to have at least one night's peace and at least one night when I do not have to figure out how to waste my time.

I will cook my father another meal, before he gets back.

How does that sound?"

"Perfect." wailed Tomoyo in amazement.

"But….What if your father returns early?"

"No buts…" replied Sakura.

After they were wined and dined, Tomoyo helped Sakura get changed into her night clothes.

Sakura then went downstairs whilst Tomoyo ran herself a nice, hot bath.

Sakura began by dusting the cabinets.

She washed the dirty dishes and returned them to where they belonged.

The floor was mopped and dried, the surfaces were sanitised and a new tablecloth was placed onto the table.

Sakura smiled; impressed at her cleaning skills, and then she made her father's dish of 'Salmon Pâté'.

She was extremely impressed.

The hours had flown by and the dish she had made looked mouth wateringly exquisite.

It was now 9.30pm and no sign of her father.

Sakura began to grow worried again so she entered the living room.

She dusted behind the couches and plumped the pillows vigorously until they were in perfect position.

Still no sign of her father and his meal was beginning to grow cold.

Why wasn't he back at normal time?

Where could he be?

Sakura began to get very nervous.

Another half an hour went by, this time very slowly.

She wondered if she should wake Tomoyo, but it was no use.

What would be the point?

Tomoyo could not magic her father back, and she was enjoying her first night of luxury.

Sakura sat shaking, listening to the ticking grandfather clock.

She got back up and entered the kitchen.  
She touched the cold plate of salmon.

The gorgeous smell had vanished.

The pinky flesh had turned a bitter grey.

It was cold.

Sakura stared frustratingly at her once impressive dish, before tossing it into the bin.

Yet another waste.

Her father never ate cold food so there was no point in leaving it on the side.

Sakura washed the plates once more and she began to get very tired.

She once again returned the cutlery to where it belonged and dried the dishes.

She once again entered the living room.

She sat on the couch and the grandfather clocked chimed eleven.

She nestled her head onto the once plumped pillow and shut her eyes…


End file.
